# Pope Francis totally fucking rocks! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596 "2015-09-26T18:41:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/41 "2015-09-27T06:04:26Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > You do realize that he made news the same day because [he turned down an invitation to dine with the DC elite so he could go serve a group of homeless people lunch](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/23/1424161/-After-addressing-Congress-Pope-Francis-will-eat-his-meal-with-the-homeless), right? > > And that he’s [ordered them to put in showers for homeless people near the Vatican](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/the-pope/11229082/Pope-Francis-wants-to-build-showers-for-homeless-in-St-Peters-Square.html)? > > And that’s he’s [reportedly been caught sneaking off Vatican grounds to go hang out with the poor and give them money](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2517275/Pope-Francis-sneaking-Vatican-night-money-poor.html) and spiritual comfort? > > I’m not the man’s \*biggest \*fan. I wish he’d change a whole lot about the role of women in the church, their stance on birth control, and LGBTQ+ issues. I hear he’s said something unfortunate about GMOs and pesticides lately (but only in rumor form. I haven’t seen the encyclical; I’m not sure if it’s been released yet.) > > But he’s done a lot to loudly and clearly articulate Catholic doctrine about some pretty good stuff that wasn’t getting enough attention under recent popes. No, none of it is groundbreaking, or new, but it’s been getting ignored until now. So yes, there is something to like about him, even for this not-a-Catholic. And to suggest he doesn’t walk the walk when it comes to serving the needy with his own heart and hands shows you’ve not actually been paying attention, and therefore your opinion is uninformed. Obviously I’m no fan of this religion to begin with, but are you really going to sell me that Pope Francis decides to do the shower thing and the homeless lunch thing all on his own? This is all a planned show. At least we know that about the little girl with the sign. [That was planned for over a year.](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-in-us-5-year-old-sophie-cruz-francis-encounter-planned-for-year/) And the homeless lunch-- of COURSE he’s invited to the white house. He’s invited to the local White Castle too! So am I to believe his security team and advisors had to scramble to find a homeless group, some lunch and security for him because HE decided, “Nope. I want to have lunch with the homeless NOW!” ?? This little ploy inspires journalists and bloggers to write about how “just like Jesus, Pope Francis fed the poor.” He didn’t feed them. He didn’t spend a single Vatican Euro. Again, it’s just a show, people. And if you look to your right, folks, Snakeoil Sam has a new product for you! Why it wipes, it dices, it thrices, it churns, it burns… ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/42 "2015-09-27T06:36:08Z")
He’s probably trying to up his “miracle” count so he can be sainted after he dies. Maybe he thinks he can cure cerebral palsy. I mean, John Paul II allegedly cured someone of Parkinson’s\* as one of his two required “miracles” that got him declared a saint. \*Actually happened after he died, but never hurts to get started on your miracle resumé early, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/43 "2015-09-27T07:02:51Z")
I’m pleased I’m not the only one who sees it as “meh!” He is better than previous popes but that is such a low bar to clear. He only seems enlightened when compared to his child-abuse enabling predecessors. Lest anyone think I’m anti-catholic…I’m not…I’m _anti-catholic church_ which is a massive distinction. The fact is that the vast majority of catholics I know (which is a small amount I admit) are good people and have far more progressive and inclusive views than the pope. They are the ones setting the example to him. He is playing catch up and he is slow, slow, slow. Eating with the poor, being kind to a child, doling out platitudes…this is all very simple stuff and nothing he has done seems particularly revolutionary when compared to the inclusive and anti-discriminatory policies put in place by secular governments within even majority catholic countries. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/44 "2015-09-27T13:55:26Z")
I recall years ago when a Doper started a Pit Thread criticizing Time for naming Bill & Melinda Gates as People of the Year for creating their phenomenal foundation (that gives away millions of dollars each year, providing among other things, free vaccinations and education resources to the poorest people in the world). The gist of his criticism was that they were so wealthy that they wouldn’t miss the billions they were giving away. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=350419&highlight="Gates"](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=350419&highlight=%22Gates%22) What I took away from that is that there are some people who are so blinded by their prejudices that they cannot recognize, or acknowledge, true goodness, even when it’s right in front of them. They will always suspect a hidden agenda and always expect to see a scheister behind the curtain. What a shame. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/45 "2015-09-27T14:12:01Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Again, it’s just a show, people. And if you look to your right, folks, Snakeoil Sam has a new product for you! Why it wipes, it dices, it thrices, it churns, it burns… It blesses, confesses, shuns fancy dresses… ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/46 "2015-09-27T14:12:15Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Obviously I’m no fan of this religion to begin with, but are you really going to sell me that Pope Francis decides to do the shower thing and the homeless lunch thing all on his own? This is all a planned show. At least we know that about the little girl with the sign. [That was planned for over a year.](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-in-us-5-year-old-sophie-cruz-francis-encounter-planned-for-year/) Of course the lunch was planned. But I don’t recall other popes making the same plans, so it’s laudable. The shower thing, no, I don’t think that was some subverted goal of the RC church all along that they were just waiting for the right pope to push it through. Dude hangs out with homeless people and knows they have a hard time showering, and that he had the power to fix it. So he did. Why does making a plan to do something good negate the goodness of doing it? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/47 "2015-09-27T14:19:55Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > A disgusting fool, a puppet for a failed religion that is just as far behind as any other religion. It astounds me how stupidly people act when he speaks. He gets cheers when he says poor children should be fed, yet he forgot to bring the sandwiches. He gets cheers when he says he believes in global warming. How many cheers have you gotten for saying that, **Bo?** I’ve gotten loads of cheers for saying I believe in global warming at the weekly First Atheist SubGenius Fellowship Beloved Holy Global Warming Celebration Ministry Outreach meetings I attend. Y’all should show up, we have a fantastic band and we have cookies. 😛 > [@Locrian](#): > > For me the greatest pope will be the one who says, “Hey, let’s sell all this religious and outdated bullshit we have laying around the Vatican. We could solve a lot of world hunger after an hour on eBay”, or the one who says, “bishops are now powerless in sending priests to new locations after molestation. We will now call the police immediately and defrock him while he sits in jail.” [ > [@](#): > > Pope Francis met with victims of child-molesting priests Sunday on the final day of his U.S. visit and promised to hold accountable those responsible for the scandal, delivering a powerful warning to American bishops accused of covering up for pedophiles instead of reporting them to police. > > The pontiff disclosed the gesture of reconciliation at the start of a meeting with U.S. bishops gathered in Philadelphia for a big rally on Catholic families. > > Francis praised the victims as “true heralds of mercy” who deserve the church’s gratitude and said sex abuse in the church can no longer be kept a secret. He promised to “zealously” protect young people and see that “all those responsible are held accountable.” > > Francis has agreed to create a new Vatican tribunal to prosecute bishops who failed to protect their flock by covering up for pedophile priests. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-09-27-09-39-16](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-09-27-09-39-16))Not exactly the same strident language you used, I admit, but IMO even baby steps in the right direction are impressive for as monolithic and entrenched an entity as the Roman Catholic Church. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/48 "2015-09-27T14:24:11Z")
> [@Bi5h0p](#): > > I’m sorry, but the OP is completely delusional. Take a few minutes and actually do some research on the Jesuit Order and the Pope’s past activities in Argentina and you might begin to scratch the surface of just how completely you have been brainwashed by the mainstream media. Of course, you will not hear anything substantive about either of these things on your evening news - not even close. Unless you start thinking and doing for yourself, you may as well sit back and be mindlessly entertained by your television, and take a massive gulp of the cup of kool-aid in your hand while you enjoy the show. I think there are a lot of “good” Catholic people out there in the world with a lot of good intentions, but most of them have not taken an objective look at the history of the papacy in wars and world history. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/49 "2015-09-27T14:24:53Z")
Obviously no matter what the pope (or anyone it seems) does there will be those who find something horrible in it, and in this case there’s obviously nothing that the pope can do right. Cynicism and paranoia are mental illnesses, not “reality”, get treatment folks. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/50 "2015-09-27T14:38:32Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Obviously I’m no fan of this religion to begin with, but are you really going to sell me that Pope Francis decides to do the shower thing and the homeless lunch thing all on his own? This is all a planned show. At least we know that about the little girl with the sign. [That was planned for over a year.](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-in-us-5-year-old-sophie-cruz-francis-encounter-planned-for-year/) It wasn’t planned by the Pope, tho, was it? So what’s your point? There’s a lot of venom and hate coming across in your posts, **Locrian**. Pope Francis has spent his lifetime working in a system that seeks to control what he sees and how he sees it and he’s at least peeked around the edges and seen that there’s more there than his system wants him to see. And instead of pulling back and hiding and doubling down on orthodoxy, he seems to be pushing the blinders away and embracing, even enacting, some changes. That’s freaking astounding for a Pope to do that, IMO. Imagine if Fred Phelps had one day appeared on the steps of Westboro Baptist Church and told the media “We’re not going to protest funerals anymore; it alienates the public and dilutes our message.” That would have been a HUGE step for an organization like WBC and for the man Phelps was. It would have been barely a shuffle for most of us, but for them/him it would have been astounding. Well, I think Pope Francis is that kind of astounding. And you don’t encourage more steps in the right direction by bitching that those baby steps aren’t breaking any landspeed records. So think about what your end goal is, and then think about how you’re going to help things get to where you want them. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/51 "2015-09-27T14:44:11Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > Obviously no matter what the pope (or anyone it seems) does there will be those who find something horrible in it, and in this case there’s obviously nothing that the pope can do right. > > Cynicism and paranoia are mental illnesses, not “reality”, get treatment folks. I don’t think anyone is saying what he is doing is horrible, just that what he is doing is not remarkable by the standards of normal, everyday, decent human behaviour. Certainly if I had to choose between the pope or Bill and Belinda Gates in the Humanitarian of the year award then there is no contest. Speccy Bill all the way. As for the sexual abuse scandal, the last I heard Cardinal Law is still living a peaceful and un-jailed life in the Vatican. How does that show a willingness to deal with the issue? ---
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/52 "2015-09-27T14:59:34Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I don’t think anyone is saying what he is doing is horrible, just that what he is doing is not remarkable by the standards of normal, everyday, decent human behaviour. Yeah and that is obviously bullshit. Here’s what’s actually happening: Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. Side B: No. He’s acting just like everyone else. That is false unless Side B happens to live in a paradise community where everyone is loving, caring and compassionate towards each other. Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. Side B: No. All previous popes have been bad so this one is bad too. That’s just irrational. Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. Side B: No. The Catholic Church is evil. We’re talking about the person that is the new leader of the organization, not the historic record of that organization. Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. Side B: No. He’s just faking it, he just wants people to think he’s a nice person. That’s an expression of cynicism that says more about the person that expresses it than the pope. Unless they have mind reading skills they know nothing about what motivates him and it makes much more sense that he’s exactly what he seems like. An actual Good Person ™. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/53 "2015-09-27T15:23:48Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > Yeah and that is obviously bullshit. Here’s what’s actually happening: > > Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. > > Side B: No. He’s acting just like everyone else. > > That is false unless Side B happens to live in a paradise community where everyone is loving, caring and compassionate towards each other. No one has said that but it is true that he hasn’t done anything particularly remarkable, By remarkable I mean an action or statement beyond that which you’d expect from a normal, decent person in the street. > [@](#): > > Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. > > Side B: No. All previous popes have been bad so this one is bad too. > > That’s just irrational. good job no-one has said it then. I said that he only looks good in comparison to previous popes and I’ll stand by that. > [@](#): > > Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. > > Side B: No. The Catholic Church is evil. > > We’re talking about the person that is the new leader of the organization, not the historic record of that organization. has anyone said “evil”? He may be “good” by the standards of the catholic church but as I’ve said, they are pretty low standards. I certainly don’t think he comes up to the fairly average standards of moral and ethical behaviour I see in friends and acquaintances. Yes, you heard that right. I’d be happy to measure them against him and be fairly confident of them coming out on top. Go on…test me. > [@](#): > > Side A: Wow! Pop Francis seems to be a really good person. > > Side B: No. He’s just faking it, he just wants people to think he’s a nice person. > > That’s an expression of cynicism that says more about the person that expresses it than the pope. Unless they have mind reading skills they know nothing about what motivates him and it makes much more sense that he’s exactly what he seems like. An actual Good Person ™. Again, to my knowledge no-one has said that. so yeah, he may be a good person…but is he an especially good person? What puts he above and beyond other good people that I know? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/54 "2015-09-27T15:33:17Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > What puts he above and beyond other good people that I know? Probably that he’s the Pope. I don’t mean that being the Pope makes him inherently better, but rather that he’s continuing to act according to what is, by all accounts, a decent conscience despite being elevated to such a high status. He’s doing a lot of things that are surprisingly humble, and people like him for that. Maybe that doesn’t make him better than anybody that you personally know, but it makes him stand out among other Popes in living memory. That’s pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/55 "2015-09-27T15:36:22Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > it is true that he hasn’t done anything particularly remarkable, By remarkable I mean an action or statement beyond that which you’d expect from a normal, decent person in the street. That depends on how much you believe in the adage “Power corrupts.” Try comparing him, not to the average person in the street, but to what that average person would be like given the power and status of the Pope. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/56 "2015-09-27T16:20:59Z")
I don’t see average people on the street doing anything at all for the homeless. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/57 "2015-09-27T16:25:41Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > Obviously no matter what the pope (or anyone it seems) does there will be those who find something horrible in it, and in this case there’s obviously nothing that the pope can do right. Heck, there’s been people on this Board and the media at large who have that position on the Pope and RCC for all our lifetimes. And, to be fair, there are also some in the general media at large who, when dealing with the Pope, no matter how just plain humanly decent an action or simply factually correct an observation/statement, while clearly staying entirely within established Church policy, will act like _“OMG, never before heard, earthshaking! historic!”_ I’ve caught some of MSNBC’s coverage and the gushing (and the deliberate ignoring of the parts that don’t fit the editorial line) is embarassing. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/58 "2015-09-27T16:45:33Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Heck, there’s been people on this Board and the media at large who have that position on the Pope and RCC for all our lifetimes. > > And, to be fair, there are also some in the general media at large who, when dealing with the Pope, no matter how just plain humanly decent an action or simply factually correct an observation/statement, while clearly staying entirely within established Church policy, will act like _“OMG, never before heard, earthshaking! historic!”_ I’ve caught some of MSNBC’s coverage and the gushing (and the deliberate ignoring of the parts that don’t fit the editorial line) is embarassing. I find most of my Catholic friends are kind of embarrassed about this. They know that the church hasn’t been in favor of \*hating \*gay people for a rather long time. I wonder if that’s the disconnect here - that non-Catholics thought RCs were out picketing funerals and screaming about the evils of gay people, while RCs have been quietly “loving the sinner” for at least a couple of decades. Same for the other stuff that’s been attributed (or mis-attributed) to the Pope. No, the Pope didn’t say that the traditional notion of God is outdated. He did say, > [@](#): > > The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class. We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all. And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: We need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: We will meet one another there. Which, yay, good job. I like it. But Catholics who have been paying attention know that this isn’t news. This is the old “pagan babies will be saved” idea, which the church was quick to clarify. > [@](#): > > This means that all salvation comes from Christ, the Head, through the Church which is his body. Hence they cannot be saved who, knowing the Church as founded by Christ and necessary for salvation, would refuse to enter her or remain in her. At the same time, thanks to Christ and to his Church, those who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ and his Church but sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, try to do his will as it is known through the dictates of conscience can attain eternal salvation. [Did Pope Francis Say It's Not Necessary to Believe in God? | Snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/popeatheist.asp#H2C1Oj7se2zLhj58.99) So, I think he’s surprising non-Catholics more than Catholics, because non-Catholics had some ideas about Catholics and Catholic doctrine that aren’t true. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/59 "2015-09-27T20:33:20Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Probably that he’s the Pope. > > I don’t mean that being the Pope makes him inherently better, but rather that he’s continuing to act according to what is, by all accounts, a decent conscience despite being elevated to such a high status. He’s doing a lot of things that are surprisingly humble, and people like him for that. > > Maybe that doesn’t make him better than anybody that you personally know, but it makes him stand out among other Popes in living memory. That’s pretty cool. Which is precisely my point. Acting like a normal human being shouldn’t elevate you to super-hero status. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596/60 "2015-09-27T20:35:29Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That depends on how much you believe in the adage “Power corrupts.” Try comparing him, not to the average person in the street, but to what that average person would be like given the power and status of the Pope. I think that average person, given the power that the pope has, wouldn’t feel hamstrung by dogma and would do far more good for the world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-francis-totally-fucking-rocks/732596.md?page=4)